Wells Enterprises, Inc. is an American food company and is the largest family-owned and managed ice cream manufacturer in the United States, based in Le Mars, Iowa. It is the maker of Blue Bunny ice cream.

Wells is the second largest ice cream maker in the United States behind Unilever. Wells produces the Blue Bunny brand, along with Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics. In addition, Wells is the licensee for Weight Watchers Ice Cream and The Cheesecake Factory at Home ice cream products, and produces Great Value brand ice cream under license for Walmart. In 2007 and 2008, Wells sold its cultured dairy and fluid milk business to Dean Foods and its yogurt business to Grupo Lala.

In 2023, it was reported that Ferrero SpA had completed the purchase of the company.

History

Fred H. Wells Jr. opened a milk route in 1913 in Le Mars after purchasing a horse, delivery wagon, and a few cans and jars for $250 from local dairy farmer Ray Bowers.

Around 1925, Wells and his sons began manufacturing ice cream and selling it in neighboring Iowa towns: Remsen, Alton and Sioux City. In 1928 Fairmont Ice Cream purchased the ice cream distribution system in Sioux City along with the right to use the Wells name.

In 1935, the Wells family decided to sell ice cream in Sioux City again. Unable to sell their product under their own name "Wells", they decided to hold a “Name That Ice Cream” contest in the Sioux City Journal. A Sioux City man won the $25 cash prize for the winning entry of “Blue Bunny” after noticing how much his son enjoyed the blue bunnies in a department store window at Easter. Fay and Fred Wells retired in January 2001, leaving the positions of CEO, president and COO to Fay Wells' sons and the positions of executive vice president and vice president of retail sales to Fred Wells' sons.

The newly incorporated business expanded in the 1980s. New corporate offices were added in 1980, and Wells built new facilities for its growing fleet of trucks used to deliver milk around Iowa. In 1983, Wells purchased an Omaha plant and after being remodeled, it processed milk, yogurt and fruit juice. The ice cream had remained largely a regional brand until 1992 when it began an aggressive program to expand nationally. The centerpiece of the expansion is a 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m<sup>2</sup>) plant, which in addition to manufacturing includes a 12-story-tall freezer. In 2014 Wells announced it would be closing the St. George, UT facility.

In November 2007, Mike Wells was named CEO of Wells.

On 7 December 2022, the company announced its acquisition by Ferrero Group, an Italian confectionery manufacturer.

Blue Bunny

Blue Bunny Ice Cream is a brand of novelty ice cream products manufactured by Wells Enterprises.

The company received the "most delicious chocolate ice cream flavor award" at the 2008 International Dairy Foods Association Ice Cream Technology Conference, the same year the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Program in partnership with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation was announced. The partnership allows consumers across the United States to nominate educational charities to receive a $25,000 grant.

Blue Bunny products were rated favorably in a 2013 edition of Consumer Reports.

Brands

Current

Source:

  • Blue Bunny
  • Halo Top
  • Bomb Pop
  • Blue Ribbon Classics
  • The Cheesecake Factory at Home

Recalls

  • July 2025 Voluntary United States-wide: 18,000 containers of ice cream and yogurt over concerns of plastic particle contamination.

References

  • Corporate
  • Blue Bunny website
  • Weight Watchers Ice Cream website